Inclusion of IK and Cultural Processes in our understanding of the interrelationships between people and nature (# WCC 10304) - An event of the nature-culture journey

This conservation campus will provide an opportunity to report on a dialogue that will begin at the E ALU PŪ (Move Forward Together) Global Gathering supported by the Hawaiin non-profit organization KUA’ĀINA ULU ‘AUAMO (KUA). This gathering will take place on the windward coast of O’ahu August 28th to 30th. The People in Nature Knowledge Basket Steering Group will partner with KUA and TNC (Hawai’i) to support a dialogue as part of this gathering beginning on the evening of August 29th and continuing through the day on August 30th.

The dialogue will consider the role of nature in the restoration of land- and ocean-based relationships and reconciliation between peoples. The IUCN People in Nature Knowledge Basket learning initiative has been tasked to consider the interrelationships between people and nature. While this is often framed from the perspective of ecosystem services, or dependence in terms of the amount nature contributes to household incomes, early discussions with Indigenous organizations have asked for a more diverse set of social, cultural, health, and spiritual interrelationships with nature to be included in early deliberations. This interest aligns with a project TNC (Hawai’i) has been undertaking to develop a set of biocultural indicators for Pacific Island communities and this dialogue will include an opportunity to share perspectives on this work to date. Broadly speaking this will provide dialogue regarding the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge and cultural processes in our understanding of inter-relationships of people in nature contributing to the Nature-Culture Journey of the Congress.